GARDAÍ have warned of a con artist couple pulling on the heartstrings of elderly people to gain access to their homes as part of sophisticated distraction burglaries in the Cork area.

Corkonians are being warned to remain on their guard in response to the incidents, the latest of which occurred in the Mayfield area in late January and involve a man and a woman.

Gardaí believe the couple have been operating nationwide but only recently made their way to Cork. The distraction plays out with a woman calling to the door voicing concern about a lost kitten and a man entering the home to steal jewellery and cash.

A Garda source described how the couple are operating. “She tells the homeowner that a cat has jumped over the wall and made their way into their garden. It’s always the female who calls at the door.

“Meanwhile, the male is outside watching in a vehicle, waiting till the homeowner is distracted so he can enter the house and see what he can get.”

Distraction burglaries have also taken place in Glengarriff, Bantry and Fermoy, according to Gardaí.

TRUST

The Garda source continued: “Because the female isn’t intimidating in appearance it’s not difficult for her to gain people’s trust.

“She is the kind of person who might seem relatable to an older woman.

“While the woman might seem chatty and friendly, there is never any reference to her history or why she is in that particular area.”

“When the homeowner is distracted, the male appears looking for jewellery and cash. This is happening in the afternoon - between 1.50pm and 2.30pm.”

He described the couple’s tactics as hugely concerning.

“They have taken jewellery and cash, and while they haven’t got much to date, it’s the fact that they are waiting to see what they can extrapolate from a place that’s most concerning.”

Gardaí describe the male as having partly bleached hair. The woman is described as having dark and curly hair.

People are being advised against opening their doors to cold callers.

STRANGER

“If you have a cold caller at your door, they are essentially a stranger. It’s now possible to get bogus caller cards with a request for the caller to leave their details. They are basically little cards with the Garda badge that people can throw out their letterbox. Genuine callers will always leave their details.”

He said that distraction burglaries can take many forms.

“There was one man last November who got into the home of a woman in her nneties by posing as a construction worker. She didn’t realise that a theft had occurred until after the following morning.”

The Garda spokesperson added that the con artist couple may adopt other stories as times goes on.

“The cat is the distraction at the moment but tomorrow it could be something else. It’s important to remember that these people are very convincing.”

People are being advised to contact Gardaí in their area if they have suspicions about cold callers.